The present invention refers to a rail grinding machine for grinding rails of a track, and in particular to a rail grinding machine of a type having a machine frame supported by rollers for mobility on both rails and associated with a grinder adjustably secured to a carrier frame in the area of one rail, with the carrier frame together with the grinder being swingably mounted to the machine frame for rotation about a pivot axis, and further including a drive motor which is secured to the machine frame at an area distant to the carrier frame.
Such grinders are used to profile or smooth the rail, in particular the running surfaces and running edges of railways for eliminating surface imperfections on the rail head caused by wear or experienced after welding operations.
The publication "Progressive Railroading", April 1981, page 11, discloses a grinder which includes a machine frame supported on rollers for mobility along the track. The machine frame includes a carrier frame in the area of one of the rails for carrying the grinder in form of a grinding wheel. A lever unit forms a swivel drive to allow an angular adjustment of the grinder longitudinally in direction of the rail. The motor or the power plant for the grinder is situated at a distance to the grinder at the other side of the machine frame and is operatively connected with the grinder via a flexible shaft. A grinder of this type is useable only for grinding the running surfaces of the rails.
European Patent No. EP 0 110 246 B1 describes a rail grinding machine with a machine frame supported on rollers for mobility along the rails. A carrier frame is arranged in the area of one of the rails and tiltable by means of a jib-like spindle drive about a pivot axis which extends longitudinally in direction of the track, with the spindle drive being articulated to the machine frame. Secured to the carrier frame is a motor-driven abrasive belt unit which is provided with a vertically adjustable bearing roller and is additionally swingable about a vertical axis relative to the carrier frame.
The publication "Railway Track and Structures", April 1993, page 2, discloses a rail grinder in which the carrier frame is secured upon a machine frame via guides which extend transversely to the track for allowing an adjustment of the carrier frame in transverse direction. The grinder is swingably mounted to the carrier frame about a pivot axis which runs parallel to the rail, with the feed of the grinder being readjusted perpendicular to the rail after each tilting and transverse displacement.
Further conventional rail grinders are known which roll on only one rail of the track and include a carrier frame for attachment of a motor-driven grinder. The carrier frame directly bears via support rollers upon the rail and thus must be held in balance by an operator during operation. For grinding lateral rail head edges and areas, the grinder is tilted in direction transversely to the track, with supporting rollers or guide rollers preventing a slipping of the grinder from the rail head.